Long-dismissed by mainstream media and record labels, Japanese rap began being visibilized in the mid-nineties. At the time, R&B female singers were very popular in the country and contributed to make rap more accessible, and male rappers more successful by collaborating with them.
In 1995, ex-pop singer Yuri was one of the first Japanese female MC to emerge with top-selling track “Da.Yo.Ne” featuring East End. Today, her successors are still active on the rap scene even though – as everywhere else in the world -, they remain little-known.
To do them justice, check out these 20 Japanese female rappers, selected among the 55 Japanese artists referenced on Madame Rap.
With:
- Utaha
- MC Frog
- COMA-CHI
- Awich
- Chelmico
- Maria
- Minami
- Elle Teresa
- 072 (prononcé “Onatsu”)
- Akkogorilla
- Yayoi Daimon
- Sudannayuzuyully
- Chanmina
- Thirteen13
- Tsugumi
- MFS (Mother Fuckin Savage)
- Marukido
- ASOBOiSM
- Reichi
See also: 35 female rappers from Asian countries.